Islam does has something to say regarding politics, but it's not an analytical basis that explains political Islam

One end: Islam accorded national recognitionThe other: radical change to society by any means

The use of Islam for political objectives

Addressing today's problems with borrowed concepts from Islam's past

To return to the "Golden Age of Islam"

De-contextualising the past, to purify the current without taking into consideration time and space

What is the Golden Age

Simplest society as most virtuous

Islamist want all Muslim to focus on energy on recreating the Golden Age

However, traditionalist says that the Golden Age is unattainable and un-operationable in modern ageThis is how the current Muslim communities reconcile from injustice / tyranny

Most are grounded in reality and suspicious of new movements

Waiting for Imam Mahdi

If majority Muslim wants to adhere to Golden Age, Muslim world would see recurrent anarchy

Author says, agriculture and hydraulic empire requires order and hierarchy above justice and equality of the Golden AgeFIND ITEM 10 REFERENCE ON WHY JUSTICE AND EQUALITY WOULD NOT WORK

Myth busted

Sharia was made by the ulama, not the state. Contains rule for the people and the state.

Religion and politics was only joined during the Prophet's time. Divine message stopped at the Prophet. There on, Islam is but a tool. Similar to all religion.

Islamism is not a monolith. It's bound by time and space. Context controlled by ruling party who gained power and territory from colonial powers eg: House of Saud

All Islamist movement sound the same because they use vocabulary that is familiar to Muslims to gain support. Scrutiny will reveal nationalist agenda.

Islamist are fighting to Islamise their territory, not to unify the umma.

Mainstream Islamist movements are reformist, not radical. Al-Qaeda are fringe groups that captured the attention of the West + self-righteous Western analyst with little knowledge of Muslim societies

Political Quietismreligiously motivated withdrawal from political affairs, or skepticism that mere mortals can establish true Islamic government

Shittes: waiting for 12th Imam

Sunni: waiting for Imam Mahdi

Everyone waiting. EXCUSES

1) opposite of tyranny is anarchy, this will dissolute the umma; need for governance is primary to quality of governance; Thomas Hobbes's social contract theory

2) a Muslim ruler despite his character is needed to defend the Muslims from infidels and so they can practice freely

Ulama made defending the caliph's legitimacy a fine art. Al-Ghazali proposed separation of Sultan and caliph. Like Malaysia today, caliph as ulama leader.

indefinite postponement of the Golden Era values

Now contemporary Islamist are riding the wave of political activism and democratization of political culture

defining features of political Islam

intermingling of religion and politics

political Islam is monolithic

inherently violent

Muslim Degeneration as per Salafis (righteous ancestors)

Muslims deviating from Islam, to return to the Golden Age

Abduh (Egypt): Islam teachings is total accordance to modern scientific positivism and rationality. True Muslim use reason. Infidels close his eyes to truth and refuses to examine rational proofs. Oppose uncritical acceptance of authority.Double Edged Sword

Rasyid Rida (Syria): learnt from Abduh and became his opponent. Rejection of taqliq (imitation) beyond the 4 schools of jurisprudence.

Colonisation

Infidels governing Muslim nations gave rise to jihad movements that finally includes mental colonisation by modern non-Muslim super powers (US/UK)

Step 1: LiberationStep 2: Move towards Golden Age

Differences

Al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah: Fighting the far enemy to cripple the near enemy